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In the Peel, nature is struggling and farmers already mourn their land. What will the nitrogen package mean?
🇳🇱 Netherlands /Environment & Climate

In the Peel, nature is struggling and farmers already mourn their land. What will the nitrogen package mean?

From NRC Handelsblad · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Dutch farmers in the Peel region are worried about the government's new nitrogen reduction package, which aims to restore nature but will significantly impact their livelihoods.
  • The package introduces 'nitrogen zones' around protected natural areas, requiring farmers to operate more sustainably, relocate, or cease operations.
  • Farmers like Yvon Manders-Lenssen fear the economic and social consequences, questioning the feasibility of the required changes and the availability of support.

Farmers in the Dutch region of the Peel are expressing deep anxiety over the government's newly announced nitrogen reduction package. The plan, designed to restore damaged nature, is expected to profoundly affect thousands of agricultural businesses, leaving many uncertain about their future.

The Hague, we've had enough.

— Yvon Manders-Lenssen's husband's grandfatherA sticker on a feed silo reflects long-standing farmer discontent with government policy.

Yvon Manders-Lenssen, a dairy and pig farmer, points to a faded sticker on a feed silo that reads "The Hague, we've had enough." She acknowledges that tensions between farmers and politicians are not new, but the current political climate adds significant stress to an already challenging profession. Farmers already worry about weather patterns and fluctuating dairy prices; the added uncertainty of government policy weighs heavily on them.

We want to move forward, whatever happens.

— Yvon Manders-LenssenManders-Lenssen expresses a desire for stability and progress despite the uncertainties.

The government's package aims to address the issue of excessive nitrogen deposition, which has led to a moratorium on permits for housing, infrastructure, and business expansions since a 2019 court ruling. The plan establishes "nitrogen zones" around approximately one hundred protected natural areas. Within these zones, farmers and businesses must adopt more sustainable practices, relocate, or, in some cases, close down. In areas like the Peel, a 1-kilometer zone will require substantial adjustments, raising doubts about the viability of many farms.

I see it happening that farmers will take to the streets again. Many colleagues will not be able to manage this.

— Yvon Manders-LenssenManders-Lenssen anticipates further farmer protests due to the perceived unmanageability of the new regulations.

Manders-Lenssen's farm is located just 700 meters from De Bult, a protected nature area within the Peel. This region, once a vast peat swamp, has been drained and farmed since the mid-19th century. Now, the peat is drying out, and water quality is deteriorating. The government has allocated 300 million euros for the Peel region, intended for nature restoration and potentially to mitigate socioeconomic consequences. However, Manders-Lenssen questions the practical application of these funds and the minister's understanding of the impact on farmers' lives, stating, "I hope the minister realizes what you are doing to people's lives."

I hope the minister realizes what you are doing to people's lives.

— Yvon Manders-LenssenManders-Lenssen conveys the profound personal impact of the government's nitrogen reduction policies.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by NRC Handelsblad in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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